Triboar Trail
Phandalin lies in a part of the North known as "the Triboar Trail," "the Triboar Cutoff," or "the Cony Gap." This stretch of foothills and rolling, sparsely wooded plains extends between the Sword Mountains to the south and Neverwinter Wood to the north. The area gains its name from an old trail that runs from the distant town of Triboar to the east, winding westward about one hundred miles through the abandoned village of Conyberry, then running north of Phandalin on its way to the High Road along the coast. Describe the party's overland travels as vividly as you like, but keep the story moving. "You walk for several miles and encounter nothing of interest" is far less evocative and memorable than, "A light rain dampens the rolling plains as you travel north. Around midday, you break for lunch under a lonely tree. There, the rogue finds a small rock that looks like a grinning face, but otherwise you see nothing out of the ordinary." USING THE OVERLAND MAP During this part of the adventure, the characters will frequently be marching overland from one point of interest to another. As can be seen on the regional map on page 5, some of these areas are a good forty to fifty miles apart, requiring several days of marching overland to travel to the next adventure site. Travel Time Assume that the party travels twenty-four miles per day over a period of ten hours. The characters must rest for eight hours per day, with the remaining six hours consisting of making and breaking camp, preparing meals, and a little bit of foraging or hunting as the opportunity permits. WILDERNESS ENCOUNTERS Ask the players to tell you the party's marching order, so that you know which characters are in the lead and who's bringing up the rear. When the party camps, ask which characters are on watch. This information is important if the party encounters something dangerous. The Triboar Trail is not safe. As the adventurers travel throughout this area, they might stumble across hungry beasts, greedy bandits, or vicious monsters. Check for encounters once during the day and once at night by rolling a d20. On a roll of 17-20, an encounter takes place. Roll a d12 and consult the Wilderness Encounters table to determine what the party meets. When an encounter occurs, and the adventurers gain XP if they defeat the monsters. Each creature's stat block has the XP value for one monster of that sort. Multiply that value by the number of creatures encountered, then divide the total equally among the characters. Wilderness Encounters Stirges These flying predators drain the blood of their victims and are drawn to the light of campfires at night. Ghouls These undead humans hunger for living flesh. Ogre The ogre is looking for an easy kill. It is too stupid to flee once combat is joined. Goblins The goblins know the location of Cragmaw Castle and can provide directions if they are captured and threatened. Each one carries a pouch containing 1d10 cp. Hobgoblins This squad of hobgoblins is actively seeking the adventurers, hoping to collect on a bounty. They know the location of Cragmaw Castle but won't provide directions unless they are charmed. One hobgoblin carries a crudely drawn sketch of one party member, with "25 gold pieces for this one" and a symbol of a black spider drawn beneath it. Orcs These scouts are part of the band currently based at Wyvern Tor. As they roam, they look for travelers to ambush or homesteads to burn. Owlbear This hungry predator picks up the characters' scent and pursues them relentlessly.